


Unexpected Guests

by TheWalrusAndTheCarpenter



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-08
Updated: 2016-04-08
Packaged: 2018-06-01 00:45:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6494188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWalrusAndTheCarpenter/pseuds/TheWalrusAndTheCarpenter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Shepard,” Garrus rumbled, his eyes never leaving the feline’s. “What is this?” || Shepard decides to bring her cat onto the Normandy and in retrospect, she should have told Garrus about the new guest in her cabin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpected Guests

Something was different about Shepard’s cabin but Garrus couldn’t put his finger on what. He stood in the doorway just watching and listening. His eyes scanned the room from corner to corner trying to discover what had changed.

Perhaps Miranda had put back the Cerberus bugs that he had to remove a few days ago. But then again, his visor’s scanner would have picked up their tiny signals if that had been the case.

Garrus huffed and narrowed his eyes. Something still didn’t feel right.

-

“Always happy to discuss science, Shepard.” The Salarian offered a quick smiled at the commander before turning back to his desk.

Shepard offered a smile in return. Ever since Mordin had joined the crew, he and Shepard had developed a strong friendship. Shepard’s interest in biology and Mordin’s enthusiasm and intelligence meant that they could have mutually interesting conversations. Even though Shepard’s formal education was nearly non-existent, Mordin was always happy to explain some of his more simple experiments to her and, in a way, help further her education.

“I really do appreciate it,” she said. “God, don’t get me wrong, I loved Alliance training but I wish I’d have had the opportunity to stay in schooling for a bit longer.”

Shepard began to tinker with some of the equipment on Mordin’s desk. She picked up one of his tools, turning it over in her hand. Everything in this lab was so shiny and new, at least Cerberus was good for something at least.

“Ah, but then you may not be where you are now,” The doctor said, glancing up at her. “If weren’t for you, would still be on Omega. Plague would still be rampant. Doubt other Cerberus operative would have helped. Thanks again, much appreciated.”

Mordin watched her begin to fiddle with the adjustments of one of his microscopes.

“Would also appreciate if you _didn’t_ touch that,” he said.

His tone sounded serious, but he had an amused expression on his face. Shepard laughed and retracted her hands from the microscope, just as EDI’s voice filled the room.

“Shepard, officer Vakarian is requesting your immediate assistance in your cabin. He did not offer any other details.”

For a moment, Shepard and Mordin shared a confused look before Shepard’s eyebrows rose in realisation.

“Masha!” She exclaimed quickly, as though that explained everything. “I should go.”

“Go help Garrus,” Mordin told her as he made his way over to the equipment on the other side of the lab. “Will be here, refocusing microscopes.”

As Shepard swiftly made her way towards the elevator, she chuckled.

-

From the moment she left the elevator she heard crashing coming from her cabin. Her steps quickened and as the door slid open, she froze at the sight in front of her. She tried not to laugh, she truly did but it was all in vain and she couldn’t stop herself.

The room was a mess. Her bedding was strewn across the floor, her half build model was scattered under her desk, and even her toiletries in the bathroom were on the tiled floor. And in the centre of it all was Garrus and an obviously angered grey cat in the middle of a stare-off. Neither seemed willing to break eye contact. Garrus’ mandibles were pulled tightly to his face in concentration while the cat was emitting a loud hissing noise.

“Shepard,” Garrus rumbled, his eyes never leaving the feline’s. “What is _this?_ ”

Rolling her eyes, Shepard moved towards the cat and scratched behind her ears a few times. Instantly, the cat began to relax and eventually her fur flattened and she began to purr softly.

“This is Masha,” Shepard explained. At the mention of her name, Masha pushed her head against Shepard’s palm in an attempt to restart the petting. “She’s my cat. My brother had been looking after her I- well, anyway I picked her back up when we were on the Citadel earlier.”

Garrus slowly nodded, slightly embarrassed about the misunderstanding. When he had found the creature under the bed it had lashed out, which quickly escalated into a full blown chase. So technically, the cat had started it all. But from the way that Shepard was stroking and scratching the creature with such love, he doubted that she would believe him if he told her that. At first, Garrus had though it was another pest that had stowed away, like the time a pyjack had managed to get into the cargo hold when they were visiting Wrex on Tuchanka.

“So it’s a pet?” He asked, just for clarification.

She nodded with a small smile. “They’re a very common pet back home. I would have let her stay with Luka longer but I really started to miss her.”

The two were silent for a moment, the only noises in the room coming from the fish tank and the cat.

Shifting from one leg to the other, Garrus cast a quick glance around the trashed room.

“So,” he started awkwardly. “About your cabin…”

He rubbed the back of his neck and Shepard laughed. He didn’t need to explain, she knew what destruction Masha could cause when she was spooked. And considering that Masha had never been exposed to anyone who wasn’t human, it was only understandable that she would react like that. Shepard should have seen this coming really.

“Garrus, it’s fine.” She smiled reassuringly and stopped petting the cat to place a hand lightly on the Turian’s arm. Masha, annoyed at the sudden lack of affection, slunk back to underneath the bed. “But we should probably pick up the model pieces though, before this little idiot tries to eat them.”

With a nod, Garrus went to help her. He didn’t realise quite how many pieces her model ships had. The pieces were tiny, no wonder it always took her so long to finish one.

“So this cat,” he started, as he began to collect the miniature pieces in the palm of his hand. “It doesn’t sleep in your bed does it?”

Shepard rolled her eyes and places a light kiss to his mandible.

“Why Garrus, you’re not jealous of a tiny kitten are you?” She teased.

Garrus’ mandibles flicked and he dodged eye Shepard’s eye contact, returning to the pieces of the model.

“Is that a no then?”

“Of course she doesn’t, you big dork.”

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh I'm not even sure whether I like this or not but I thought I'd share it anyway.
> 
> In case anyone was interested about my Shepard, she's a paragon Earthborn biotic who grew up in Russia with her brother Luka. Other than that she pretty much follows the rest of the set story for Earthborn + Sole Survivor. 
> 
> This is unbeta'd so I'm sorry if there are any mistakes, also I'm only just getting back into the swing of fic writing so I apologise if the characters aren't exactly perfect.


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